The UK and North Korea have agreed to exchange non-resident defense attachés, it was announced yesterday in the British Parliament.

Hugo Swire, Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), revealed the news at the end of an hour and a half parliamentary debate focussing on human rights in the DPRK.

“We took an important step earlier this year when we accredited a non-resident defence attaché to Pyongyang and gave the DPRK attaché in Moscow similar status,” Swire said, adding that the “process is opening up new opportunities for engagement with a different part of the DPRK system”.